With the support of UN IOM Albania, the Coordination Center for Countering Violent Extremism conducted a two-day official visit to the Government of North Macedonia. In this visit, Mr. Meidani was received by his counterpart. Mr. Zlatko Apostoloski as the National Coordinator against Violent Extremism and Terrorism in North Macedonia, two Deputy National Coordinators Mr. Xheladin Ajvazi and Mr. Zlatko Arsov; Mrs. Natasha Vidova, representative of UN IOM Skopje as well as other North Macedonian government officials involved in this field.

The purpose of the visit was to increase bilateral and regional cooperation in the common fight against terrorism, violent extremism and any type of activity related to it.

During the visit, Mr. Meidani, the Director of the Coordination Center for Countering Violent Extremism and at the same time National Coordinator, was accompanied by the Head of the Sector for civil society and security issues at the CVE Center, Mr. Ermal Jauri and Mrs. Alketa Gaxha representative of UN IOM Albania.

During the visit, the Albanian delegation headed by Mr. Meidani discussed issues of particular importance for the security of the two countries in question and the regional ones.

Mr. Meidani was closely acquainted with the reforms and initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Justice of North Macedonia in the Penitentiary Institutions, presentation which was made by Mrs. Hristina Bozinovska Director at the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions. At this point, Mr. Meidani after congratulating Mrs. Bozinovska and the work that the institution she leads has done, brought the example of the excellent cooperation that Albania has with the Republic of Kosovo and specifically the establishment of the digital data management system in the prison systems, this project financed by IOM, to which suggested that North Macedonia should implement such a system as well as the establishment of a regional system for the exchange of information regarding this purpose.

Further, Mr. Meidani and the Albanian delegation were introduced to the reforms and initiatives that the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia has made in the fight against violent extremism and terrorism by the Director of the Department for Combating Violent Extremism, Terrorism and Radicalization, Mr. Dragan Simonovski.

Also, another point of discussion during this visit was inter-institutional cooperation and the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as the progress made by this institution in North Macedonia. Mr. Meidani was introduced to the latest developments in this direction by Mrs. Aneta Gjorceska, Director of the Department of Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism of North Macedonia.

At the end of the meetings, Mr. Meidani guaranteed his counterpart Mr. Apostoloski for the continuation and further strengthening of bilateral and regional cooperation in the common fight against terrorism and violent extremism. Mr. Apostoloski on the other part, thanked and congratulated Mr. Meidani for the regional initiative proposed at the Sarajevo conference earlier for the conception of a common regional doctrine for the fight against terrorism as well as the new concept of “Fusion Center” proposed for the Coordination Center for Countering Violent Extremism in Albania as a good example to be followed by the region.

The Albanian delegation, after closing the meetings in the Government of North Macedonia, continued with the meetings with international organizations and other partners in Skopje and the region.